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Homesickness.

Many people underestimate homesickness. While it can be hard to define, expats who have experienced homesickness describe it as a sort of melancholy feeling, a sense of being ‘out of place’, and a longing to be in a place that is familiar and safe.

Discrimination.

Racism, xenophobia, ageism, sexism and other forms of discrimination are unfortunately common to every country around the world. As an expat, you may experience one of the worst things about living abroad in the form of discrimination against yourself or your family.

Difficulty finding work.

Having a stable income is one of the most important things for people living abroad. Not only will you need finances to pay your rent or mortgage, bills and living expenses, you will also need money to take part in many of the cultural activities that make expat life so worthwhile

The cost of moving and living abroad

It’s no surprise that the cost of moving and living abroad can be very expensive. While settling in to your new home, you are likely to encounter a number of up-front costs that could put a dent in your finances.

Making friends and building a community.

Moving abroad unfortunately means leaving your friends and communities back home. Once you land in your new home, you’ll need to go out and find new friends. This can be hard, especially in a new country where you may not speak the local language or understand the local culture.

Culture shock.

Culture shock is the feeling you get when adapting to the way of life in a new country. Local customs, laws and traditions may make you feel uneasy at first. They can be difficult to understand as an outsider, especially if they feel very different to the ones you are used to back home.

The language barrier

Even if you speak the native language of your new home country to a high level, you may still find local dialects, accents and slang stop you from understanding the language like a local. Not only will this mark you out as a foreigner and make it hard to connect with locals, it can also make it hard to communicate your needs.

Access to healthcare

Medical treatment can be extremely expensive depending on where you move. And, as an expat, you may not be able to take advantage of state healthcare, meaning you will need to pay for treatment out of your own pocket.

Bureaucracy and paperwork.

As an expat living in a foreign country, you may find yourself constantly filling in forms and ticking boxes. This is because, unfortunately, bureaucracy is one of the universal disadvantages of moving to another country.